Surrendering may sound scary as you envision giving up control. However, God can be trusted.
Trying harder is a worldly term that insinuates laziness, not doing enough, never good enough, or believing that you will only be successful if you give it all you’ve got, forever. Who can just try harder forever and not break down, burn out, give up, or make themselves sick with defeat? It smacks of the enemy. The enemy likes to point the fingers of “not enough” using people and institutions around you. It seems that those who do not listen to your cries for help yet expect you to try harder do not really have your best interest at heart. In reality, it is one of the biggest ways people are pushed away from God rather than into the Holy embrace.
Jesus lived the perfect example of surrender. He did not tell the woman at the well she was not trying hard enough in life, that she was too steeped in sin to be bothered with, nor did He tell her to come back and talk to Him when she had her life straightened out. He taught her the meaning of true life right there at the well. He told her about surrendering. He saved her to God, and she, in turn, returned to her village, shared her Jesus story, and many sought out Jesus to hear his Word of salvation. Ultimately, Jesus surrendered His life for ours.
Why, then, are we willing to buy into societies conditioning of trying harder in order to be worthy? Trying harder is not what God means when we are called to do the work and make the effort to develop a genuine daily relationship with Jesus.
Surrendering the things in life and people that are out of your control is the only path to peace, wisdom, life, and holiness. Lean in and let Jesus carry those burdens. Do it before you drop from exhaustion, guilt, or depression. None of us can do it all. But, Jesus can!
We need to hold each other up in prayer more, lend a shoulder, a hug, make a phone call, and be there to help where needed. Today’s the day to surrender all of your burdens to God and seek opportunities to save others who need to surrender theirs.
Surrender yourself to the LORD, and wait patiently for him. Do not be preoccupied with [an evildoer] who succeeds in his way when he carries out his schemes. Let go of anger, and leave rage behind. Psalm 37:7